A Coral Springs man has been charged with attempted murder after police say he tried to kill his 82-year-old mother by striking her with a frying pan and attempting to smother her with pillows.
Keith Evan Woodward, 53, was arrested Sunday, according to Broward County jail records.
An arrest report says Woodward had been looking for the phone number of a caretaker when he told someone he planned to kill his mother because she was showing early signs of dementia and required constant care.
Investigators said Woodward grabbed a large frying pan from the kitchen, went into his mother’s bedroom and hit her in the head. A struggle followed, during which Woodward allegedly pinned her down and tried to suffocate her with pillows.
The woman fought back, yelling that she couldn’t breathe, while pushing and pinching him in an effort to escape, the report states. Woodward then struck her in the head at least two more times with the frying pan and again tried to smother her, according to police.
She eventually slid out from under him and ran from the home. Woodward chased after her but stopped. He later called 911, admitting what happened and telling operators he believed he was “going to hell,” the report said.
Responding officers took him into custody. His mother was taken to a hospital, and officials said they were still assessing the extent of her injuries.
Woodward appeared in court, where a judge ordered him held without bond. He was also barred from having contact with his mother, prohibited from possessing weapons, and ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.
